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Henkel
◀ Mark Dorn, Executive Vice President of Henkel Adhesive Technologies
Henkel’ s approach to acquisitions is far from new, as the adhesive technologies division has grown through inorganic methods. Henkel purchased Loctite in 1997, which remains the company’ s largest brand today, and acquired National Starch in 2008 in a deal that not only roughly doubled the business but also gave it a platform in the electronics market.
Ensuring the success of these acquisitions has required careful integration and cultural thought.“ Henkel is a warm, empathetic, and curious organization, and that is embedded in our company DNA,” Mark states.“ Our priority when integrating a business is to listen and understand its culture. We’ re deliberately cautious, and we staff integration teams jointly to validate the business model before any changes occur while staying clear on non-negotiables around systems and back-office integration.”
Alongside acquisitions, innovation is at the heart of Henkel’ s operations, with investment into both research and development( R & D) and physical infrastructure continually flowing. Central to this network is the Inspiration Center in Düsseldorf, which opened in 2022 after a € 130 million build that stands as Henkel’ s largest single investment to date. Spread over 47,000 square meters, the site houses 30 laboratories, four technology centers, and more than 750 employees. Its modular labs can be quickly reconfigured as projects change, and the customer experience center allows visitors to view Henkel’ s full portfolio of adhesives, sealants, and coatings.
Following success in Düsseldorf, Henkel opened a sister site in Shanghai in 2025.“ The concept mirrors our advanced center in Düsseldorf, bringing our portfolio to life and enabling collaboration both internally and externally,” Mark confirms.“ We’ ve opened a third center in Brazil earlier this year and we have upgrades planned for our site in Seoul. We’ ve also just launched a larger
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